Mise au point d'un réacteur épitaxial CBE

Ce projet de maîtrise consiste à l'asservissement et la mise en marche d'un réacteur d'épitaxie par jets chimiques au Laboratoire d'Épitaxie Avancée de l'Université de Sherbrooke. Le réacteur sert à la croissance dans l'ultravide de matériaux semi-conducteurs tels que l'arséniure de gallium (GaAs) et le phosphure d'indium-gallium (GalnP). La programmation LabVIEW™ et du matériel informatique de National Instruments sont utilisés pour asservir le réacteur. Le contrôle de la température de l'échantillon et de la pression de contrôle des réactifs de croissance dans le réacteur est assuré par des boucles de rétroaction. Ainsi, la température de l'échantillon est stabilisée à ±0,4 °C, alors que les pressions de contrôle de gaz peuvent être modulées sur un ordre de grandeur en 2 à 4 secondes, et stabilisées à ±0,002 Torr. Le système de pompage du réacteur a été amélioré suite à des mesures de vitesse de pompage d'une pompe cryogénique. Ces mesures révèlent une dégradation sur plus d'un ordre de grandeur de son pompage d'hydrogène avec l'opération à long terme. Le remplacement de la pompe cryogénique par une pompe turbo-moléculaire comme pompe principale a permis d'améliorer la fiabilité du système de pompage du système sous vide. D'autre part, la conductance du système d'acheminement de gaz et d'injection a été augmentée afin de réduire un effet mémoire des sources le système et faciliter la croissance de matériaux ternaires. Ainsi, des croissances de GaAs (100) sur substrat de même nature ont été effectuées et ont révélé un matériau de bonne qualité. Sa rugosité moyenne de 0,17 nm, mesurée par microscopie à force atomique, est très faible selon la littérature. De plus, une mobilité élevée des porteurs est obtenue à fort dopage au silicium, au tellure et au carbone, notamment une mobilité de 42 ± 9 cm2V_1s_1 des porteurs majoritaires "(trous) lors du dopage au carbone à 1,5 • 1019 cm-3, en accord avec la courbe théorique. La croissance du matériau ternaire GalnP a aussi été réalisée en accord de maille avec le substrat de GaAs, et avec une rugosité de 0,96 nm. Ceci constitue un premier pas dans la croissance d'alliages ternaires au laboratoire. Finalement, la mise eh marche du réacteur d'épitaxie par jets chimiques permet maintenant à cinq étudiants gradués de faire progresser des projets reliés directement à la croissance épitaxiale au Laboratoire d'Épitaxie Avancée de l'Université de Sherbrooke. [symboles non conformes

Abdominal adipocyte populations in women with visceral obesity

Visceral obesity is independently related to numerous cardiometabolic alterations, with adipose tissue dysfunction as a central feature. Objective: To examine whether omental (OM) and subcutaneous (SC) adipocyte size populations in women relate to visceral obesity, cardiometabolic risk factors and adipocyte lipolysis independent of total adiposity. Design and Methods: OM and SC fat samples were obtained during gynecological surgery in 60 women [mean age: 46.1±5.9 years; mean BMI: 27.1±4.5 kg/m2 (range: 20.3-41.1 kg/m2)]. Fresh samples were treated with osmium tetroxide and were analyzed with a Multisizer Coulter. Cell size distributions were computed for each sample with exponential and Gaussian function fits. Results: Computed tomography-measured visceral fat accumulation was the best predictor of larger cell populations as well as the percentage of small cells in both OM and SC fat (p<0.0000 for all). Accordingly, women with visceral obesity had larger cells in the main population and higher proportion of small adipocytes independent of total adiposity (p≤0.05). Using linear regression analysis, we found that women characterized by larger-than-predicted adipocytes in either OM or SC adipose tissue presented higher visceral adipose tissue area, increased percentage of small cells and HOMAir index as well as higher OM adipocyte isoproterenol-, forskolin- and dibutyryl cAMP- stimulated lipolysis compared to women with smaller-than predicted adipocytes, independent of total adiposity (p≤0.05). Conclusion: Excess visceral adipose tissue accumulation is a strong marker of both adipocyte hypertrophy and increased number of small cells in either fat compartment, which relates to higher insulin resistance index and lipolytic response, independent of total adiposity

L'Estuaire (65)

Éditorial: La relance de la revue de l'Estuaire: 15 ans déjà! -- Le chemin de fer et le tourisme au Bas-Saint-Laurent -- Les dames Drapeau -- Histoire oubliée: Une étrange odyssée...des Madelinots s'établissent sur l'Île Nepawa (Abitibi) en 1941 -- Étude démographique de la population de Rimouski 1701-1750 -- Sur la piste des forêts du passé -- Mgr Courchesne: la récupération des forêts pour la colonisation -- Joseph-Pierre Ouellet, 2e architecte de l'église de Trois-Pistoles -- La seigneurie de l'Anse-aux-Coques ou de Lepage-Thivierge -- Nouvelles brèves -- Livres à lir

Hybrid MBE-CBE Growth and Characterization of undoped In 0,53 Ga 0,47 As on Fe-InP(001) for avalanche photodiodes (APDs)

International audienc

Patient-Related Diet and Exercise Counseling: Do Providers’ Own Lifestyle Habits Matter?

The goal of this research was to evaluate the personal health behaviors of physicians in training and attending physicians in association with patient-related lifestyle counseling. Physicians at a major teaching hospital were surveyed regarding their personal lifestyle behavior, perceived confidence, and frequency of counseling patients regarding lifestyle behaviors. One hundred eighty-three total responses were received. Trainees were more likely to consume fast food and less likely to consume fruits and vegetables than attendings. Attending physicians were more likely to exercise 4 or more days per week and more than 150 minutes per week. Attending physicians were more likely to counsel their patients regarding a healthy diet (70.7% vs 36.3%, P150 minutes per week, being overweight, and reported adequate training in counseling. Only adequate training in counseling was a predictor of strong self-efficacy for counseling in diet. Many physicians lack confidence in their ability to counsel patients regarding lifestyle. Personal behaviors including regular exercise and better training in counseling techniques may improve patient counseling. Prev Cardiol. 2010;13:180–185. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79167/1/j.1751-7141.2010.00079.x.pd

Lymph node fibroblastic reticular cells directly present peripheral tissue antigen under steady-state and inflammatory conditions

Lymph node stromal cells (LNSCs) can induce potent, antigen-specific T cell tolerance under steady-state conditions. Although expression of various peripheral tissue–restricted antigens (PTAs) and presentation to naive CD8+ T cells has been demonstrated, the stromal subsets responsible have not been identified. We report that fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs), which reside in the T cell zone of the LN, ectopically express and directly present a model PTA to naive T cells, inducing their proliferation. However, we found that no single LNSC subset was responsible for PTA expression; rather, each subset had its own characteristic antigen display. Studies to date have concentrated on PTA presentation under steady-state conditions; however, because LNs are frequently inflammatory sites, we assessed whether inflammation altered stromal cell–T cell interactions. Strikingly, FRCs showed reduced stimulation of T cells after Toll-like receptor 3 ligation. We also characterize an LNSC subset expressing the highest levels of autoimmune regulator, which responds potently to bystander inflammation by up-regulating PTA expression. Collectively, these data show that diverse stromal cell types have evolved to constitutively express PTAs, and that exposure to viral products alters the interaction between T cells and LNSCs

Wafer-scale detachable monocrystalline Germanium nanomembranes for the growth of III-V materials and substrate reuse

Germanium (Ge) is increasingly used as a substrate for high-performance optoelectronic, photovoltaic, and electronic devices. These devices are usually grown on thick and rigid Ge substrates manufactured by classical wafering techniques. Nanomembranes (NMs) provide an alternative to this approach while offering wafer-scale lateral dimensions, weight reduction, limitation of waste, and cost effectiveness. Herein, we introduce the Porous germanium Efficient Epitaxial LayEr Release (PEELER) process, which consists of the fabrication of wafer-scale detachable monocrystalline Ge NMs on porous Ge (PGe) and substrate reuse. We demonstrate monocrystalline Ge NMs with surface roughness below 1 nm on top of nanoengineered void layer enabling layer detachment. Furthermore, these Ge NMs exhibit compatibility with the growth of III-V materials. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) characterization shows Ge NMs crystallinity and high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) reciprocal space mapping endorses high-quality GaAs layers. Finally, we demonstrate the chemical reconditioning process of the Ge substrate, allowing its reuse, to produce multiple free-standing NMs from a single parent wafer. The PEELER process significantly reduces the consumption of Ge during the fabrication process which paves the way for a new generation of low-cost flexible optoelectronics devices.Comment: 17 pages and 6 figures along with 3 figures in supporting informatio

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field